diff --git a/server/datastore/commit.go b/server/datastore/commit.go
index 802125efa..8a21a961b 100644
--- a/server/datastore/commit.go
+++ b/server/datastore/commit.go
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ type Commitstore interface {
 	// KillCommits updates all pending or started commits
 	// in the datastore settings the status to killed.
 	KillCommits() error
+
+	// GetCommitBuildNumber retrieves the monotonically increaing build number
+	// from the commit's repo
+	GetBuildNumber(commit *model.Commit) (int64, error)
 }
 
 // GetCommit retrieves a commit from the
@@ -112,3 +116,9 @@ func DelCommit(c context.Context, commit *model.Commit) error {
 func KillCommits(c context.Context) error {
 	return FromContext(c).KillCommits()
 }
+
+// GetBuildNumber retrieves the monotonically increaing build number
+// from the commit's repo
+func GetBuildNumber(c context.Context, commit *model.Commit) (int64, error) {
+	return FromContext(c).GetBuildNumber(commit)
+}
diff --git a/server/datastore/database/commit.go b/server/datastore/database/commit.go
index a34c2662d..d36e02ae4 100644
--- a/server/datastore/database/commit.go
+++ b/server/datastore/database/commit.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package database
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/drone/drone/shared/model"
@@ -103,6 +104,20 @@ func (db *Commitstore) KillCommits() error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// GetBuildNumber retrieves the build number for a commit.
+func (db *Commitstore) GetBuildNumber(commit *model.Commit) (int64, error) {
+	row := db.QueryRow(rebind(commitGetBuildNumberStmt), commit.ID, commit.RepoID)
+	if row == nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("Unable to get build number for commit %d", commit.ID)
+	}
+	var bn int64
+	err := row.Scan(&bn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return bn, nil
+}
+
 // Commit table name in database.
 const commitTable = "commits"
 
@@ -194,3 +209,12 @@ const commitKillStmt = `
 UPDATE commits SET commit_status = 'Killed'
 WHERE commit_status IN ('Started', 'Pending');
 `
+
+// SQL statement to retrieve the build number for
+// a commit
+const commitGetBuildNumberStmt = `
+SELECT COUNT(1)
+FROM commits 
+WHERE commit_id <= ? 
+	AND repo_id = ?
+`
diff --git a/server/datastore/database/commit_test.go b/server/datastore/database/commit_test.go
index d629ee250..8591e18e3 100644
--- a/server/datastore/database/commit_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/database/commit_test.go
@@ -69,6 +69,21 @@ func TestCommitstore(t *testing.T) {
 			g.Assert(commit.Updated).Equal(getcommit.Updated)
 		})
 
+		g.It("Should Get the build number", func() {
+			commit := model.Commit{
+				RepoID:  1,
+				Branch:  "foo",
+				Sha:     "85f8c029b902ed9400bc600bac301a0aadb144ac",
+				Status:  model.StatusSuccess,
+				Created: 1398065343,
+				Updated: 1398065344,
+			}
+			cs.PostCommit(&commit)
+			bn, err := cs.GetBuildNumber(&commit)
+			g.Assert(err == nil).IsTrue()
+			g.Assert(bn).Equal(int64(1))
+		})
+
 		g.It("Should Delete a Commit", func() {
 			commit := model.Commit{
 				RepoID: 1,
diff --git a/server/worker/docker/docker.go b/server/worker/docker/docker.go
index d2a38514c..4f497fcee 100644
--- a/server/worker/docker/docker.go
+++ b/server/worker/docker/docker.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package docker
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime/debug"
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ func (d *Docker) Do(c context.Context, r *worker.Work) {
 	// mark the build as Started and update the database
 	r.Commit.Status = model.StatusStarted
 	r.Commit.Started = time.Now().UTC().Unix()
+
 	datastore.PutCommit(c, r.Commit)
 
 	// notify all listeners that the build is started
@@ -109,6 +111,14 @@ func (d *Docker) Do(c context.Context, r *worker.Work) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// TODO: handle error better?
+	buildNumber, err := datastore.GetBuildNumber(c, r.Commit)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Unable to fetch build number, Err: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+	script.Env = append(script.Env, fmt.Sprintf("DRONE_BUILD_NUMBER=%d", buildNumber))
+	script.Env = append(script.Env, fmt.Sprintf("CI_BUILD_NUMBER=%d", buildNumber))
+
 	path := r.Repo.Host + "/" + r.Repo.Owner + "/" + r.Repo.Name
 	repo := &repo.Repo{
 		Name:   path,
diff --git a/shared/build/build.go b/shared/build/build.go
index 9fc284200..e77776e8e 100644
--- a/shared/build/build.go
+++ b/shared/build/build.go
@@ -492,7 +492,6 @@ func (b *Builder) writeBuildScript(dir string) error {
 	// add environment variables for code coverage
 	// systems, like coveralls.
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_NAME", "DRONE")
-	f.WriteEnv("CI_BUILD_NUMBER", b.Repo.Commit)
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_BUILD_URL", "")
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_REMOTE", b.Repo.Path)
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_BRANCH", b.Repo.Branch)
diff --git a/shared/build/build_test.go b/shared/build/build_test.go
index f9930efd3..0efa68fd7 100644
--- a/shared/build/build_test.go
+++ b/shared/build/build_test.go
@@ -549,7 +549,6 @@ func TestWriteBuildScript(t *testing.T) {
 	f.WriteEnv("DRONE_PR", "123")
 	f.WriteEnv("DRONE_BUILD_DIR", "/var/cache/drone/github.com/drone/drone")
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_NAME", "DRONE")
-	f.WriteEnv("CI_BUILD_NUMBER", "e7e046b35")
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_BUILD_URL", "")
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_REMOTE", "git://github.com/drone/drone.git")
 	f.WriteEnv("CI_BRANCH", "master")